Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1887-02-18
THE CHAMBER OF COMMERCE..
The Extension of the O., L. Il w. Road Il
the IsIand Discussed.

The Extension of the O., L. & w. Road to
the Island Discussed.
At last evenings regular meeting of the
Chamber of Commerce, Captain John
Mcclure made an address upon the subject
of the extension of the Cleveland, LOrain
and Wheeling railroad to the Island. The
Captain submitted a plan of that portion
of the Island lying between Ohio and Zane
streets, and extending from river to river.
This plan showed the surveys of the pro-
posed extension, made in 1880, by which
the line, leaving the Ohio shore at a point
north of the line of Virginia street, crossed
the Back" river diagonally to the
west end of Virginia street, from
which point three lines were run
across the Island, n Of them
along Virginia street, one through the
alley south of Virginia street, and the
third along Ohio street. On reaching the
line of South Front street, the several
lines curved to the South and struck the
river bank about where Mr.. Zane's new
house now stands.
The tenor of the negotiations between
Capt. Mcclure and the railroad people, at
that time, contemplated that a corpora
ton should be formed here to
build the road, including the bridge
over the Back river, the
Railroad Company to take sufficient stock
to cover the cost Of grading, ironing, ties
and depot building, while the Wheeling
people were to secure the right of way and
depot site. After the work was completed,
and the cost of the two divisions ascer-
tanned, the extension was to be leased to
the Railroad Company for ninety-nlne
years. At Captain McLure's request the
railroad people, in 1880, made estimates Oh
the cost of a bridge and depot, the aggre-
gate of the two being SS6, Ol6.5O, OF which
sum $40, 900 was for the depot and the
balance for the bridge. Chief Engineer W.
W. Card, in submitting this estimate, said;
81 find, upon examination, that there Is
no rock in the bed of the river at the pro-
posed crossing, and it will, therefore, De
necessary to put in Spite foundation. II
the combination truss bridge is adopted,
the cost will be $21, 96S less than the
above figures"
Speaking in regard TO the papers sub
mitted, Capt. Mcclure stated that
while the extension was no
no less desirable now than six years ago,lt
would be almost impossible to secure the
ground and route then available. He
thought a bridge could now be put up for
about $50, 600.
Col. Robert Campbell next addressed
the Chamber upon the subject, urging the
desirability of the extension, and said he
thought the Railroad Company would be
willing to take hold of the matter. He
moved that a special committee of three
be appointed by the Chair to
enter into a correspondence with the
Cleveland, LoIain and Wheeling Company
upon the subject. The motion was unani,
mously agreed to. President Logan will
name the committee at his leisure. The
remainder of the evening was spent In a
desultory discussion on a variety of topics.
1t had been intended by the Chamber to take
some action in relation tothe Constitution
al Amendment, but the passage OF the
Joint Resolution by the Senate yesterday
morning, and took the wind out of the sail
which had been spread, and no reference
was made to it.